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Mixing Post=Ban & Pre-Ban

robert_nichols
I have two Federal legal questions related to my Post-Ban Colt MT6601 Match Target HBAR rifle bought new in 1997. This rifle has a 20" barrel and a target crowned but otherwise straight plain muzzle with no threads, no flash hider, no muzzle brake, etc. I live on Maryland's rural Eastern Shore, across the Chesapeake Bay from Washington DC and most of the legal foolishness. Now that the Clinton assault weapons ban has expired:

1) Is it legal to thread the end of the this rifle's barrel and install a standard M-4 style flash hider?

2) Is it legal to install a Pre-Ban style complete upper on my Post-Ban lower receiver?

I'd like some extra protection for the muzzle crown, and improving the looks of the rifle would be nice, but I also want to do the right thing, and avoid any possibility of getting a bad rap or creating any negative PR for illegally modifying an assault rifle.

Thanks for looking!
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • hk-91
    In federal level there is no pre or post ban anymore. Now state levels are different.
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  • robert_nichols
    Eastern Shore of Maryland. Across Chesapeake Bay from DC, Montgomery and Prince George's counties where they have some restrictions. My part of the state is pretty conservative, huntin' 'n fishin' territory. Maybe it isn't such a simple question but any referral to where I could find out without paying a lawyer would be great.
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  • givette
    Stop in a local gunshop where you live. Ask him if he has/is willing to order for you an AR-type rifle that has the features on it. You must ask if he is willing to order the entire rifle, not just the upper.

    Reason for asking about the entire rifle:
    Uppers by themselves are legal to sell. They are not firearms. You could be in violation if you put it on a lower receiver. Asking for the complete rifle would insure legality when you buy your upper.

    Also, once you accomplish above, you can order the upper delivered directly to your door through the internet. Best, Joe
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  • nmyers
    Eastern Shore, Western Shore, it doesn't matter.

    Your rifle is not classified as a "regulated firearm", but alterations could move it into that category. That would mean you would need MSP permission to transfer it to another person within Maryland. But, you can do it.

    It is your rifle. You are free to convert a valuable gun into a mutilated mixed parts mongrel if you so desire.

    Neal

    EDIT: Rob, it sounds like you have given this a lot of thought, & your plan will work. You need to be aware that the size of the front hole that attaches the upper to the lower varies, so it helps to check that; there are adaptors/bushings to compensate for a mismatch. Brownell's catalog is your friend.

    If you use the edit feature on this forum (the icon of a pencil/piece of paper), you can extend the number of responses before the thread is locked.
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  • robert_nichols
    Hello Neal. Your post addresses the reason I included the part about getting a different upper. I wanted to ask all the questions I could think of, and it seemed to me that the law might see changing uppers differently from adding a muzzle brake. I really don't want to alter the rifle. Since swapping uppers seems to be OK, that's where I'm headed. I don't really need the 20" barrel for the 100 to 200 yard iron sight shooting I do anyway, so I can get something with a 16" instead. If I don't use the original upper outdoors or at the range, I won't need to worry about that "naked" muzzle crown, and I'll put fewer rounds through the Colt barrel as well. Yet swapping back to the original upper will restore the rifle to its original configuration. Using it in different upper mongrel mode won't bother me knowing that I can put it back good as new. You given me some valuable guidance and I thank you for your reply.
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  • robert_nichols
    PS I'm not concerned about being able to transfer this rifle. If I have anything to say about it, it will be passed on within my family after I'm gone the way my father's and grandfather's guns came to me. :)
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  • robert_nichols
    And Joe, thank you as well.
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  • robert_nichols
    Also, to Joe's point about buying the whole rifle, my local Gander Mountain always has a couple of M-4 style carbines for sale, with the same Maryland 10 day waiting period as for a pistol purchase, so I know. Last week they had a Bushmaster in there and a used LEO AR-15.
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  • He Dog
    Robert, I am not sure you are going to work out around here, you are way too polite. Welcome to the Forums anyway![^]
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  • robert_nichols
    I thought this forum would be my best bet to find out what I needed. Sure enough it was and I did, fast too. All replies noted and I've got my plan. Thank you everyone!
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